Diagon Alley
by Courteney
Summary: SLASH - A brief interlude as Harry and Severus go shopping in the Alley - including books, broomsticks and tropical holidays...


Diagon Alley  
  
Harry wandered between the shelves of Flourish and Blotts, glancing at random titles. Sometimes he pulled out a book and flicked through its pages, but more often than not, he didn't. He was bored but he was determined not to complain. He wound his way around the store and ended up near the front of the store. He stared longingly out the window towards Quality Quidditch Supplies.  
  
His favourite store had recently taken delivery of a new broomstick from the company that created the Nimbus - the SwiftStick 2002. This was the first time Harry had been able to get to Diagon Alley and he'd been dying to check out the latest in broomstick technology. Alas, he had to wait until his mate had finished trawling the shelves of the bookstore.  
  
Harry flopped down on an armchair by the window and watched the people walking past the store. The smell of parchment that permeated every inch of the bookstore suddenly reminded him that he hadn't owled Ron and Hermione for a few weeks. He'd have to do that when he got home. His best friends were Auror's and partners at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Hermione had married Bill Weasley and they had been on their honeymoon in Madagascar earlier that month. She should be back now. So should Ron. He had taken time off at the same time as Hermione and had gone to Bora Bora for some sun.  
  
Wish we could go get some sun, Harry thought lingeringly as he gazed up at the grey, dismal sky. He glanced back around into the store and saw the love of his life standing by the counter paying for an obscenely large pile of books. He smiled affectionately. Sev had been so excited when he'd seen some new potions books in the latest catalogue from the bookstore. Harry had just been glad of any excuse to come to the Alley and check out the new broom.  
  
"Did you get everything you wanted?" Harry asked, standing up as Severus stopped by his chair, a large bag of books in his hand.  
  
"Yes. And I see you've had a productive afternoon selecting intellectual material," Severus said dryly.  
  
"Hey, not all of us can be brainy," Harry retorted playfully.  
  
"Oh that's right, some must rely on brawn," Severus said condescendingly, reaching out for Harry's hand with his free hand.  
  
Harry allowed himself to be tugged out of the store as he murmured, "You seemed to enjoy that brawn last night."  
  
Severus merely smirked at him as their roles reversed and Harry dragged him down the Alley to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Now it was Sev's turn to be bored as Harry eagerly examined the new broom.  
  
It was sleek and smooth and Harry fell in love at first sight. His hand trailed along the glossy handle that was a dark inky green colour. This broom was the ultimate. Rather than being carved out of wood, like the conventional brooms, this one had been crafted from fibreglass and was available in twenty different colours. The SwiftStick 2002 had been designed by a pair of Muggle-born wizards who had combined raw materials from the muggle world with the requisite flying spells from the magical world. It was ingenious, in Harry's humble opinion.  
  
It was far more expensive than his Firebolt had been, but in Harry's opinion, it was worth it.  
  
"What colour should I get?" Harry asked as he felt Severus nestle closely behind him.  
  
"Slytherin Green," Severus whispered in his ear. Harry could hear the wicked grin in his tone.  
  
Harry chuckled. "Ron would disown me if I started sporting Slytherin colours."  
  
"Red it is, then," Severus said resolutely.  
  
Harry spun around to stare into Sev's eyes in astonishment. He'd fully expected his mate to say something mocking as he'd practically handed it to Sev. As he gazed into black liquid eyes, the room suddenly melted away as they became the only two people in the world.  
  
"I want you to be happy, Harry," Severus said quietly. "If Mister Weasley is insecure enough that the mere colour of a broomstick will cause him to break off ties with you, then it is not worth it."  
  
Harry quickly leaned forward and kissed the Slytherin before Severus could react. The older man was not one for public displays of affection. Holding hands or standing close to each other was one thing, but kissing was a definite no-no.  
  
"Thank you," he murmured, once he'd made sure Severus wasn't angry that he'd violated their unspoken rule.  
  
"Unlike Mister Weasley, I am not so insecure that I need constant validation of our relationship," Severus said, reaching past Harry to lift a dark blood red broomstick off the wall display. Harry took the offered broom silently but grinned with childish delight as he set off for the counter to pay for the broom.  
  
"Anything else you need to do today, love?" Severus asked as they wandered back down the Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
"Nope, I just want to go home and give this broom a proper test," Harry said enthusiastically.  
  
Harry felt a drop of water splash onto his cheek and glanced up at the sky.  
  
"It's raining," Severus said irritably. He quickened his pace, tugging Harry along behind him. "I hate the rain."  
  
Harry suddenly remembered his thought while waiting for Sev to finish selecting his books. "Hey, why don't we go away for a while?"  
  
"What?" Sev said as they entered the Leaky Cauldron. They headed directly for the fireplace.  
  
"Why don't we go somewhere warm?" Harry continued as he watched Severus throw floo powder into the fire.  
  
"Hogwarts," Severus said after he'd stepped into the fireplace. He disappeared from sight and Harry followed him.  
  
Harry tumbled out of the fireplace and into Sev's arms. "Let's go on a holiday together."  
  
"We can't go, I've got classes to teach and you've got a book to write," Severus said as they headed towards their chambers.  
  
Harry sighed. Why did Sev always have to be practical?  
  
"The book can wait and the Christmas holidays start in a couple of weeks. Surely we can take that time and go somewhere warm. We can lay on a beach and swim and just relax," Harry said cajolingly.  
  
"When do you ever not relax?" Severus asked, teasingly. He frequently joked that Harry did nothing all day while he wrote his memoirs at the ripe old age of 22.  
  
Harry looked indignant, "Hey! It's difficult to write about my life. There are so many things that have happened to me that I could write seven books! I have to decide what's most important."  
  
"I know, I know," Severus said soothingly. "Are you going flying now? Or will you wait until the rain has stopped?"  
  
Harry glanced slyly at Sev. "How on earth will I occupy my time if I don't go flying?"  
  
"I'm sure we'll think of something," Severus murmured. "Arsenal."  
  
The door to their chambers swung open and Harry walked in and carefully placed his broom on the table.  
  
"Honestly, you and your muggle sports teams," Severus muttered, dropping his bag next to Harry's on the table. "You just won't be content until you submerse me entirely in the muggle world, will you?"  
  
"I'm serious about this holiday," Harry warned him, ignoring Sev's grumbling. "I'm going to owl the travel agent in Diagon Alley and get them to send us some brochures."  
  
Severus pulled Harry into his arms and kissed him thoroughly.  
  
"You're not going to distract me!" Harry protested as Severus swung him up into his arms and carried him into their bedroom.  
  
Well, perhaps just this once.  
  
The End. 


End file.
